Tory donor John Booth handed leading role in choosing arts and media honours

Move to install venture capital investor as chair of committee comes after series of Conservative donors given positions on cultural boards

A Tory donor has been handed a prominent role at the heart of the UK's honours system, the Observer can reveal.

In a move that provoked immediate claims of political interference, John Booth, a venture capital investor who has given the party more than 200,000, has been made the independent chair" of the committee that oversees honours in the arts and media. The role means he will also sit on the main honours committee, which considers all awards.